RFK Jr. Defends Self Against Democrat Attacks At Hearing

Above, Robert Kennedy Jr. during yesterday's testimony.

It was astonishing seeing Democrats on the House subcommittee on weaponization of federal agencies hearing on censorship rake Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the coals yesterday.

Kennedy was accused of making anti-Semitic and racist statements (in relation to COVID virus). Kennedy, a Democrat himself, was treated as if he were Donald Trump or some other Republican. 

Kennedy, at least, fought back against the attacks. 

It was ironic that a hearing on censorship began with Democrats trying to censor him by moving to disinvite him from testifying before the hearing started.

From the Washington Times:

House Democrats attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the chief party rival to President Biden in the 2024 race, Thursday by accusing him of trading in antisemitic tropes and spurring doubts about vaccines within the Black community even though he vaccinated his own children.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida Democrat, moved to shut down Mr. Kennedy’s testimony at a House Judiciary Committee hearing in which GOP lawmakers invited the presidential candidate and others to testify on censorship by Big Tech and government officials.

“Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly made antisemitic and anti-Asian comments as recently as last week,” Mr. Schultz said, referring to when Mr. Kennedy suggested the coronavirus might have been targeted at White and Black people while sparing Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.

"Mr. Schultz"? LOL!

Still, it was a mind-blowing spectacle. Who'd have thought a Kennedy would be subjected to vicious attacks by fellow Democrats? I made myself a bowl of popcorn and watched the whole hearing.  

To read more, go here.

Tucker Carlson: Ep. 6, Robert Kennedy Is WINNING

Tucker Carlson On Twitter- episode 6!! Robert Kennedy is WINNING and more hated than TRUMP

"Clotty", Pfizer's New Mascot

 

Read more about it by going here.

About Those COVID Vaccinations...

 Actor James Woods:

Facts are friendly...

 

Oh-oh!

Above, yours truly with Martin Link last January. Photo by Russell Azbill.

A few minutes ago, I received word that the Martin Link Gallup supper group member Bob Weeks is in the hospital with COVID.  I think he mentioned before that he was vaccinated. 

It was a good thing that I didn't attend Sunday's dinner at his home due to allergy issues, but there is a possibility that those who did may have contracted it. Hopefully not. I was with one attendee's husband today at Denny's. If she got exposed to it, then he may also be exposed to it through his wife. Again, hopefully not.

I don't think that I should be too concerned since I have been fully vaccinated, including two boosters (Pfizer). Generally, symptoms show up anywhere between 3 to 14 days from exposure (give or take). 

Roger, one of our gang in Jamestown, came down with it months ago and we didn't catch it from him. Hopefully, we'll have dodged a bullet again. Knock on wood!

We'll just have to wait and see.

Biden Has COVID-19

His Fraudulency Joe Biden may or may not have cancer, but he definitely has coronavirus. Did he sniff the wrong person and caught it?

USA Today reported:

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday, something the White House had taken extra steps to avoid as highly transmissible strains struck top aides, Cabinet members and the vice president.

Biden, 79, is experiencing "very mild" symptoms and is taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. 

While Biden's vaccinations should protect him against serious illness, the infection is a blow to the administration's efforts to show the president is on top of the pandemic that has disrupted the country for more than two years.

 To read more, go here.

G-FEST Grumblings

Above, J. D. Lees and Akira Takarada at G-FEST XXVI in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A surprising thing came to light while I was perusing Facebook on posts concerning COVID-19 popping up at G-FEST last weekend.

I didn't attend as I have a guest coming over for a visit next week, which includes some travel while she's here. The funds at present are finite.

A post was left by Sean McGuinness that stated J. D. Lees wasn't attending the convention this year as he refuses to get vaccinated in order to cross the U.S.-Canadian border. This was the first I heard of this. I was wondering why there there were no photos of J. D. at the convention. Now I know. That was a surprise to me! 

Here's the post:

This is from the G-FEST program book. JD Lees, the originator of G-Fest, will not attend his own convention because he refuses to get the vaccine to cross the Canadian border.

He has done "considerable research" and fails to provide any sources for that research. He says "his body his choice" as every woman in the United States has had their choice stripped away from them.

He talks about "societal divisions" are symbolic of these times and have caused harm to families, referring to discussion of the pandemic. Just like when the official G-Fest Twitter account would make light of COVID, claim it's mostly a foreign problem, a disease which would kill over one million Americans.

He wants to encourage us to put aside such divisions, such as when the official G-Fest Twitter account would block any and all concerns about how it was spreading deadly misinformation. We gather at G-Fest for our love of Science Fiction, and apparently Science Fact has no place there.

If necessary, we should "turn the other cheek", but the guests, artists and fans who were blocked by the G-Fest Twitter account are still blocked, no cheek turned. I expect this to be the G-Fest response to artists being refused entry to sell their legally protected fan art and the money they lose out on, as well as if they ever drop the "no mass produced fan art" rule that exists in no convention in the United States, except here.

We should keep our commitment and passions burning like the "Cherenkov Light", a radiation that is of Russian origin. Russia is currently invading Ukraine and torturing, raping and killing its citizens, men, women and children. Maybe he refers to the Monsterverse Godzilla and his blue glow, but Monsterverse guests are mysteriously absent from multiple G-Fests, but they are showing up at All Monsters Attack Expo in September.

I present these facts without opinion, I present them as facts with facts.

I haven't read the referenced program book, so I can't vouch for what was said or the accuracy of McGuinness's post.

Well, I don't think that J. D. has any obligation to anybody to provide his sources he used in his coronavirus research in making his decision. I am sure it was a tough decision for him to make. 

As for the "his body his choice" dig, McGuinness is mistaken that women had their "choice stripped from them" by the U.S. Supreme Court. They just ruled that there's no constitutional right on the federal level for abortions and ruled that it was for the states to decide. Women can still get abortions, they just have to go to a state that legally allows them or have their state change their laws if they don't. 

I disagree with J. D. on not getting vaccinated. I have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine (two shots) and two boosters. I experienced no ill effects except soreness at the injection sites. I was not about to take chances since I have two stents in a coronary artery. Even those who are fully vaccinated can still get the virus, the vaccine only lessens the severity. Still, that was his own personal decision.

On the fan art matter, since I haven't spoken to J. D. on the restrictions, I suspect that Toho Co. had a hand in this since Godzilla and related characters are their trademarked property. Historically, whenever occurrences like this had happened before, I was due to a Toho demand. J. D. would not pull the rug out from anybody unless he was forced to by Toho. 

As far as the G-FEST Twitter matter is concerned, I haven't seen any such postings and McGuinness didn't quote any. 

Frankly, I am not at all surprised that COVID reared its ugly head at G-FEST. People came from all corners of the country and world. A friend in the UFO research community told me last week that at a recent meeting/gathering, COVID was spread among the attendees. 

Could this be a new variant? G-Variant? I had a feeling this may happen at G-FEST. 

Apparently, it did. 

FDA Approves 2nd Booster

This shouldn't be much of a surprise to those of us who have been paying attention. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a second COVID-19 booster.

I had the first booster in October. I am not sure if I am getting a second one. I'll have to mull it over.

According to the Gateway Pundit:

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it authorized another Covid-19 booster shot of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for people 50 and older and certain immunocompromised individuals.

That means four doses of the mRNA vaccine within a 2-year span. Is this the beginning of annual Covid shots?

To read more, go here.

New Pfizer CEO: 4th Booster "Is Necessary"

Here we go again.

The Pfizer CEO is now saying that a fourth booster shot is necessary to keep hospitalizations more manageable and sickness more mild.

In the interests of full disclosure, I had my third Pfizer booster last October.

From The Hill:

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Sunday that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be necessary to continue to help keep hospitalizations manageable and sicknesses more mild. 

"Right now, the way that we have seen, it is necessary, a fourth booster right now. The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths," Bourla said while appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation."

"It's not that good against infections but doesn't last very long. But we are just submitting those data to the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], and then we will see what the experts also will say outside Pfizer," he added.

In August, the FDA fully approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for people at least 16 years old or older. A third dose of Pfizer's vaccine has been granted emergency use authorization.

Bourla told CNBC on Saturday of his company's plans to submit data for a fourth COVID-19 dose.

What's next? Quarterly boosters?

To read more, go here. 

COVID-19 Increases Risk of Heart Problems

Those of us with a history of heart problems, such as I with two arterial stents put in back in 2018, should be very cautious against catching COVID-19, at least according to findings by a new study.

That is why I got vaccinated back last February (wow, it's been a year already) and then got a booster last October. I decided to not take any chances and got vaccinated, not from any government order.

The Epoch Times reported:

New research has shed further light on how COVID-19 and vaccines affect the human body, with one study claiming an increased risk of heart problems after contracting the illness and another report suggesting that vaccines generate no additional side effects among those affected by cancer.

Even if some time has passed since a person recovered from COVID-19, they are still vulnerable to heart problems, according to a study of 153,760 U.S. veterans, published in Nature Medicine magazine. These individuals were infected with the novel coronavirus before the vaccines were available.

The study compared the rate of cardiovascular problems in this group against 5.66 million veterans who did not catch the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and 5.86 million veterans whose health data were collected in 2017.

“Beyond the first 30 [days] after infection, individuals with COVID-19 are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning several categories, including cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure, and thromboembolic disease,” an abstract of the study stated.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Abandons Plan To Add Booster Requirement

Above, visitors no longer have worry about getting a booster to go to Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like the state of Hawaii will not be requiring a booster shot to be considered as fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The idea was floated for weeks by Hawaiian officials, but has abandoned it.

USA Today reported:

Want to visit Hawaii without taking a COVID test or quarantining? Flash your COVID-19 vaccination card. And, no, you won't have to be boosted to be considered fully vaccinated.

The state, which has had the most strict entry program in the country since reopening in October 2020, decided against adding a booster requirement, Gov. David Ige said Tuesday.

Ige had repeatedly said the idea was on the table, going so far as to tell at least one mayor the target date to implement the program was Feb. 18 and have officials start tweaking the website where travelers upload vaccination information.

To read more, go here. 

Travel Crimps From Coronavirus and Ukraine

Above, at the Santa Monica Promenade in January 2018.

With our government (i.e., His Fraudulency Joe Biden) and the Russian Federation government (i.e., Vladimir Putin) not playing nice these days over Ukraine, travel to and from Russia is dicey at best.

Asya and I have been discussing having her come for a visit here in New Mexico but the situation makes travel from Russia to here difficult, but not impossible. We last met up a few days before I moved to New Mexico. But we do stay in regular contact.

Last year, the Russian government ordered that U.S. embassies and consulates cut staff, which is causing tourist visa applications for Russians to grind to a total halt. That, plus coronavirus vaccination requirements (vaccines must be ones approved by the U.S. government) makes travel planning difficult. The Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, is not recognized in the U.S. It is still being processed by the World Health Organization.

The subject of the visas came up yesterday during a text exchange. I had forgotten about this. However, I found there are ways around it.

In other words, if Asya goes to a European country with a U.S. Embassy or consulate, she can get a visa there, but she has to apply in person. Also, she can get a vaccine (U.S. recognized) there as well. She has been able to travel to Italy and Cyprus during the past year, so it is possible to get both accomplished.

My friend Mitch suggested last year to go to St. Petersburg, Russia. But that is difficult (still not impossible) during ordinary times, but the tensions led to the following State Department advisory:

So, it is a "rock and a hard place" situation. At least for now, until the parties start playing nice again with each other.

Countries Requiring COVID-19 Boosters

International travel (well, travel in general) is dicey right now at best.

Last year, we were told that two vaccine jabs would fully vaccinate us from COVID-19. Now they're saying that boosters are needed.

Some countries are now requiring booster shots for travelers in order for them to be fully vaccinated and allowed in.

TravelPulse has a list of countries requiring boosters.

They begin with:

Remember when we thought getting two COVID-19 jabs would render us safe and free to travel the world again? Not so, it seems. As the pandemic wears on and the virus mutates in ways no one could predict, the situation calls for more.

At least, that seems to be the belief among several foreign countries that have in recent weeks begun requiring international visitors to show proof of a booster shot in addition to their original COVID-19 vaccine series. Travelers with upcoming plans may find that the definition of “fully vaccinated” has suddenly been altered.

To read more, go here. 

Travel To Hawaii During COVID-19, What You Need To Know

Above, a Waikiki sunset. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travel to anywhere by ship or plane is getting more complicated again, thanks to the hysteria over the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Our post office clerk just returned to work yesterday after a bout with omicron. She said that it was like a bad cold. We lost our previous clerk due to coronavirus back in September. She wasn't vaccinated, but our present clerk was and she weathered it well (it helped that she's young, too).

As the omicron variant is spreading, Hawaii travel is getting more complicated as well.

The Mercury News has posted an article on what one needs to know for Hawaii travel.

They start with:

If you’re planning to travel to Hawaii, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The basics

Hawaii has aligned its entry policy for international travelers with federal policy for air travelers that went effect on November 8, 2021, requiring international arrivals to be fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test result.

Since December 6, all inbound international travelers 2 and older are required to test within one day of departure for the United States, regardless of vaccination status. This does not affect domestic travel.

It’s part of a general tightening of US travel rules because of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Hawaii has ended its pre-travel testing and quarantine requirement for domestic travelers if they’ve been fully vaccinated for Covid-19 in the United States.

To read more, go here. 

What Will Japan Travel Look Like In 2022?

Above, Asakusa, Tokyo's Senso-ji temple. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Just when things were starting to look promising for a reopening of Japan tourism, the omicron variant appeared and Japan re-tightened restrictions in response.

How will Japan's travel and tourism industry look in 2022 is anyone's guess, but the Japan Times writes about what they see travel will look like in 2022.

Here's snippet:

Just as the battered travel and tourism industry thought it saw a light at the end of the tunnel, it is being rattled again as nations introduce flight restrictions to contain the spread of the new variant.

Less than a month after easing border controls in November, the Japanese government imposed new bans for inbound international visitors to the dismay of travelers, airlines and hotel operators alike. As of early January, it remains unclear when the restrictions will be lifted. Meanwhile, the number of reported coronavirus cases are seeing a spike, raising concern of a new wave of infections.

Still, with COVID-19 treatment pills starting to be distributed to medical institutions and the nation rolling out its third round of vaccinations, Hoshino [Resorts] and others in the sector are hopeful that travel will regain its footing this year while incorporating the lessons learned from the past two tumultuous years.

To read more, go here. 

Biden’s Latest Irrational Moves To Shut Down 30,000 Truckers

The following hasn't happened yet, but with His Fraudulency Joe Biden, we can expect to see the unexpected.

Biden has been known for being out of touch with reality before he even showed signs of senility.

This post is by the Gateway Pundit. Hopefully, this doesn't come to pass.

The Gateway Pundit wrote:

Of course, this is not making headlines but in the next two weeks Joe Biden is planning on shutting down a significant portion of the trade pipeline with Canada.

According to government figures U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totaled an estimated $718.4 billion in 2019. Exports were $360.4 billion; imports were $358.0 billion.

Canada was the largest goods export market in 2019. Canada was the United States’ 3rd largest supplier of goods imports in 2019. U.S. goods imports from Canada totaled $319.4 billion. 70% of that trade is moved by truck.

In about a week the Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate will mean around 30,000 cross-border truckers will be forced to shut down. Starting January 15, truckers will be forced to show proof of vaccine.

If you think we have supply chain problems now, just wait and see.

To read the full article, go here.

Why So Many Vaccinated People Getting COVID-19?

The omicron variant of the coronavirus seems to be spreading like wildfire. It especially raged during the holiday season.

People are wondering why so many vaccinated people are getting COVID-19 lately. AP News gives some answers.

They reported:

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately?

A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant. Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places.

People might mistakenly think the COVID-19 vaccines will completely block infection, but the shots are mainly designed to prevent severe illness, says Louis Mansky, a virus researcher at the University of Minnesota.

And the vaccines are still doing their job on that front, particularly for people who’ve gotten boosters.

Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still offer strong protection against serious illness from omicron. While those initial doses aren’t very good at blocking omicron infection, boosters — particularly with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines — rev up levels of the antibodies to help fend off infection.

I got my two Pfizer shots in February and my booster in October. So far, so good.

To read more, go here. 

Pfizer, BioNTech Vaccine Neutralizes Omicron With Three Shots

Praise the Lord!

It appears that I am well-protected from the Omicron variant of coronavirus, if the following is to be believed.

Reuters reported that three doses of the Pfizer vaccine is enough to neutralize the Omicron variant, according the lab tests.

They reported:

Dec 8 (Reuters) - BioNTech and Pfizer (PFE.N) said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test and they could deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

In the first official statement from vaccine manufacturers on the likely efficacy of their shot against Omicron, BioNTech and Pfizer said that two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralising antibodies but that a third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25.

I had my initial Pfizer vaccinations in February and got the booster in October. I had no ill effects each time, save for a sore arm at the vaccination site.

To read more, go here. 

Omicron Variant: What Travelers Need To Know

Above, a half-empty plane during the height of the pandemic. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What I am reading so far about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the symptoms are mild in comparison the the initial virus and the Delta variant.

Still, whether or not the symptoms are mild, precautions should be taken, especially while traveling. 

TravelPulse has posted an article on what we know and what we don't know about the variant.

They begin it with:

The Omicron variant is the newest COVID-19 variant to gain worldwide attention when it was discovered last week, prompting governments worldwide to close international travel to and from Southern African countries, its region of origin.

Already, the U.K. changed its entry requirements for all international travelers, requiring a rigorous testing regime and a self-isolation period. Four of the nation’s largest airports are screening for the Omicron variant among international travelers, while the Biden administration has extended its mask mandate for federal transportation through March 2022 as well as new COVID-19 testing requirements for inbound international travelers.

Those new requirements will take effect beginning December 6, 2021.

“This new variant is cause for concern, but not panic. We knew there would be cases of Omicron here in the States, and it’s here,” said President Joe Biden. “But we have the best tools: the best vaccines in the world, the best medicine and the best scientists in the world.”

The World Health Organization also issued a revised travel advisory recommending that all travelers over the age of 60, the unvaccinated and those with underlying health conditions that could heighten the severity of COVID-19 to postpone travel for the near future.

So what do we know about Omicron so far, and how will it affect your travel plans?

To read more, go here. 

Dollar Weakens To ¥113.20 In Tokyo Trading

We're now in a new month.

The following is moot point as no American (or any other) tourists are allowed in Japan, but it is interesting to see how the U.S. dollar is faring against the Japanese yen in Tokyo foreign exchange trading.

What little opening there was to business people and students, the omicron variant has caused Japan to slam its doors again. I have read that the omicron variant has mild symptoms. I don't know how accurate that is, but if this is true, the world's reaction to it may be a case of "much ado about nothing."

According to Jiji Press:

Tokyo, Nov. 30 (Jiji Press)--The dollar eased to around 113.20 yen in Tokyo trading Tuesday, pressured by media reports questioning the effectiveness of Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine against the omicron coronavirus variant.

At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at 113.18-18 yen, down from 113.54-59 yen at the same time Monday.

To read more, go here.